Hostage Situation: The Oncoming Storm
by Bumblebee'sGuardian
Summary: Following HOSTAGE SITUATION, Team Flash is forced to take on a new danger in the form of Mark Mardon who has set his sights on Joe and those closest to him. To make matters worse, the Rogues join forces with Mardon and Barry's life is once more a terrifying mess as not only to the Rogues threaten his life, but the Reverse Flash's intentions for Barry and Eddie become all too clear.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Right!**_ _ **So**_ **Hostage Situation** ** _is over, but the drama has just begun. So begins_** **The Oncoming Storm!**

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* * *

Barry Allen entered the precinct a few minutes after eight, his satchel over his shoulder and a steaming hot cup of coffee in his hand. He glanced around the foyer, taking in a deep breath. Nothing had changed, thank God. It still smelled like stale coffee, paper and an excessive amount of cologne, a scent which wafted over from one of the detective's desks. It smelled like home to him.

Barry let out a heavy sigh, taking the scene in with a grain of salt. God, he'd missed this.

"Barry!" Barry looked to see Eddie making his way across the foyer to him, looking all too happy to see him. The detective had on his signature grin and Barry couldn't help but smile back as Eddie gave him a quick hug. "Good to see you're back."

"It's good to be back." The two weeks that the Captain had made Barry take off had done him well. He'd had plenty of time to recover and take a good deep breath from all the insanity that had happened. Eddie had come back only a few days earlier than Barry, having finally managed to pass his mandatory psychological evaluation thanks to Iris' support. Barry had only taken his psych eval the other day and had just barely squeaked by, something which he very much doubted would have happened if it weren't for Joe and him talking things out over the past two weeks.

"Mr. Allen. Detective Thawne." Barry turned with Eddie at the sound of Captain Singh's voice. Their boss motioned for them to come closer and they obliged, sharing a look of uncertainty. "In my office please. You both have some paperwork to fill out."

"Ok." Barry shrugged and followed Eddie into the office slowly, the Captain shutting the door behind them once the three of them were inside. "What do you need us to fill out, sir?"

"That was just for the benefit of the other officers, Mr. Allen. Please. Take a seat. You too, Thawne."

Barry sat down slowly, Eddie taking up the seat next to him. The Captain settled behind the desk. Barry saw the look in his boss' eye and he suddenly knew. He knew exactly where this was all headed. "This is about my extracurricular activities, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It is." The Captain sighed. "As you know, Mr. Allen, we can't condone vigilantism. However…" Singh sighed. "Since I'm one of the few people who are aware of your activities, I've made a decision. A decision which I have been contemplating since the incident with the…Rogues and the Reverse Flash." Captain Singh grabbed two sheets of paper, handing one to Barry and the other to Eddie.

Barry took the paper, his hand shaking. He was almost afraid to look at it, terrified to see an arrest warrant. Instead, he found himself looking at a copy of an order for the creation of a special division. "The Division of Metahuman Criminal Affairs?"

"After your incident and the others that STAR Labs has informed us of since, I talked to the police superintendent, the DA and the mayor. We mapped out funding to create a division that specializes in dealing with metahuman related crimes. It will take a month or so to set up, but we want the two of you as well as Joe to be part of this. I already brought it up to Joe. He's waiting for your decisions before giving me his."

"And…my activities?" said Barry hesitantly.

The Captain smiled. "The mayor has decided that, because of how…instrumental the Flash has been in helping the police to track down and detain metahuman threats, the Flash is to be deputized by the police superintendent and the DA. He'll be a legal officer of the law. He'll also be made a liaison between the police and STAR Labs who will be helping the division on the technical end. You, Mr. Allen, get to work the science and evidence and deal with your…other job at the same time. By doing this, no one ever has to know about your identity as the Flash."

Barry blinked. "I can't believe it..."

Captain Singh smiled. "Neither could I. It seems the recommendation by many officers along with the citizens of Central City for you to be commended for your actions to protect the city, has helped to sway the opinion of a lot of people in the government and law enforcement."

Barry blinked in shock. "I…I don't… Wow…" He stared at the paper, trying to process all of this. This was… This was incredible…

Eddie chuckled. "Captain, I think you made him speechless."

"It's better than him stumbling over his words," said the Captain, clearly amused especially as Barry felt his cheeks flush, "Well, Mr. Allen? Are you in?"

Barry exhaled slowly. "Can I talk about it with Joe and Eddie in private first?"

Singh nodded. "Take your time, but not too much time. Ok?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I'll get back to you as soon as we talk-" Barry glanced at the door, seeing a commotion in the bullpen. The Captain and Eddie followed his gaze and the three rose, exiting the office.

Joe was the first to approach them. "We've just had a report of an attack at the morgue. The coroner was found dead just a few minutes ago."

Joe, Eddie and Barry turned to the Captain who nodded for them to proceed with their jobs. "We'll talk more later when you've all had a chance to discuss this. Now go investigate."

"Thank you, Captain. We'll get right to it." Joe motioned with his head for Barry to go grab his kit and Barry turned to leg it up the stairs. The world was back to normal after all. At least, for the time being.

* * *

Walking into the CCPD coroner's office hadn't exactly been Mark Mardon's greatest plan, but it had been effective. He now had the name of the cop who had killed his brother. Detective Joe West. He remembered the copper well. Joe West and his then partner Fred Chyre (who he was pleased to hear his brother had managed to kill during their disastrous aerial getaway) had been chasing them for as long as he remembered. West had never forgotten or forgiven them apparently and when Clyde had returned to Central City, West had shot and killed Clyde. Whether it was in cold blood or in a fair fight, Mark really didn't care. He just knew that Joe West was going to pay for killing his brother.  
Mark found himself at the local library and slipped behind a computer, quickly doing a search through the Internet and local newspaper databases for information on Joe West. Most articles he found were of brief comments by the detective to the media during some of his investigations. The most recent article he found, however, was by far the most informative about the detective.  
 _"'Two CCPD Employees and STAR Labs Employee Safe After Hostage Situation."_ Mark read through the news article carefully. Apparently the two CCPD employees were people who were very close to Joe West. The CSI, Barry Allen, was the detective's foster son and the cop who was kidnapped, Eddie Thawne, was Detective West's partner on the force, not to mention the boyfriend of Detective West's daughter, Iris West, who worked at Central City Picture News. He had three clear targets now to used against Detective West.

Detective Thawne would be a hard target, both being an officer himself and being closely watched. The moment Detective West heard of Mardon being back, he'd undoubtedly have a heavy guard placed on his daughter. The same could probably be said for his foster son who would also have the protection of working at the police station. There was no doubt that the police would also arrange protection for Detective West himself. This would be a difficult task even with his new found abilities.

Mardon leaned back in his chair, thinking the article over. The article said that Leonard Snart, his sister and his partner-in-crime, Mick Rory, had been responsible for the kidnapping of Detective Thawne, Mr. Allen and this other man, Cisco Ramon. Perhaps it would be prudent to seek his aid regarding this matter. Perhaps he could use a partner, or rather a team to deal with this matter, particularly if word of this Flash character were true.

Mardon smiled. Time to engineer a prison break.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: So I decided to change a bit of the direction that this story will be taking, but I think I like it better this way. I'm introducing another Rogue this chapter that wasn't in my original line-up, but I think his character is crucial to the plot and helps make things run a lot more smoothly than they did without him. Hope you enjoy this next chapter and please feel free to give me your feedback via reviews or messaging regarding the addition of this other character and the chapter/story as a whole. Thank you so much to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed and/or favorited this story! You guys are why I keep writing this!_**

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* * *

"This is so weird," said Barry as he sloshed through the puddles surrounding the coroner's body.

"Weird is an understatement," said James Townsend, one of Barry's fellow CSIs, as the man in question picked up a chunk of ice. He quickly put it in an evidence jar and into the cooler bag he had brought. "At least they don't have far to take the body..."

Barry gave James an exasperated look, but ignored him. After all, James was just trying to make light of a rather bad situation. "How many ice chips have you collected so far?"

"Four or five. Why?"

"Why don't you take those back to the lab and freeze them again before they melt too much? We need to make sure we preserve as much of the evidence as possible."

James nodded. "You sure you can handle this on your own while I do that?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Why?" Barry frowned, giving James a hard look.  
"Nothing. It's just it's your first day back to work you know and I wanted to make sure you were ok. Don't want you to overwork yourself day one." James shrugged. "I mean..."

"Yeah... Thanks, but I'm fine. Really. Working actually helps a bit."

James nodded. "Gotcha. You just let me know if you need anything, ok?"

Barry nodded. "Thanks. I will."

James took the cooler and left with a brief nod to his coworker, rushing past Joe and Eddie who were deep in conversation. Their eyes locked on Barry and the CSI stood, approaching them. "What's going on?"

"Barry, you're going to want to hear this." Eddie handed him a recorder, pressing play.

"Tell me who killed Clyde Mardon."

"Ok! Ok! It was Joe West! Detective Joe West! Please! Just don't hit me again!"

"Oh. I'm going to do much worse than that..." There was the sound of an electric charge and a scream split the air before Eddie silenced the recording.

Barry glanced warily at Joe whose expression was grim. "Joe... Who was that? It's not...? Right?"

Joe nodded. "Mark Mardon. I'd know his voice anywhere."

"Know whose voice anywhere?" The trio turned to see Captain Singh approaching them.

"Mark Mardon, sir," said Eddie, "He's alive."

"And he probably can control the weather like his brother." Barry returned to the coroner's body, lifting the dead man's shirt to find baseball sized bruise patterns. "My guess is that Mardon beat him with hail." Barry check the rest of the man's body and found more evidence to confirm another suspicion. "And then he electrocuted him. He probably used lightning for that."

Singh frowned, looking between the trio and the body. "You're positive?"

"Absolutely." Barry stood again, almost slipping in the water before steadying himself on the examining table. "If Mardon's powers are anything like his brothers, they seem more precise and even more dangerous."

"And he's coming after Joe," added Eddie.

"I see." Captain Singh frowned. "Mr. Allen, I believe that you will need to stay attached at the hip to Joe."

Barry nodded. "I'll do what I can. It'll be suspicious if I stick too close to him all the time, but..."

Captain Singh nodded. "I suggest splitting your time between your civilian identity and your other uniform. I'll have James cover your case load if it helps. He managed fairly well when you were gone. I'm sure he can manage for a little longer."

"We'll still have to be careful," said Eddie, "If he's coming after Joe, Barry and Iris could be targets too."

"Just as you could be," said Singh.

"Then the three of them need to be under protective custody," said Joe shortly, "I don't care what happens to me. If Mardon attacks Iris, Eddie or Barry-"

"Joe." The sharp tone in Barry's voice shut up his foster father almost immediately and Joe turned to Barry, the detective's face still fixed in a frustrated expression. "Not. Here."

"I agree," said Singh, "We need to get back to the precinct and then we can discuss how we're going to handle this. I'll swing by the Picture News office and pick up Iris. Allen, would you like to accompany them or me?"

Barry glanced at Eddie and Joe who shared a quick look before nodding to Barry. Their decision was clear. "I'll go with you, Captain. Eddie and Joe at least know what to expect right now. Iris has no idea what's coming."

Singh merely nodded, turning away to bark at the other officers present, ordering them to handle the crime scene in lieu of Eddie and Joe leaving. He motioned for Barry to follow him, which the CSI did, though not without throwing a look back at Joe and Eddie. They had to stay safe. They has to stay safe until he got back. They had to.

* * *

Mark nearly slammed his head against the library computer monitor in frustration as he once again failed to access the records at Iron Heights, his amateur level hacking the equivalent to throwing a pebble at a brick wall.

"There's easier ways to do that you know." Mark gave a start, spinning around in his chair to face whoever had spoken to him. A bespectacled man maybe a few years younger than himself stood behind him, leaning up against the bookshelves behind him. If Mark wanted to guess, the man looked like some sort of prissy prep school, Ivy League snob. Aside from the man's posture, the overconfident sneer on his face sealed the image. "Hacking into Iron Heights' database."

"Oh really?" Said Mark warily, fighting the urge to rise up out of his chair and wipe off the man's stupid smirk, "Do explain."

"Allow me."

Mark slid his chair back from the computer, giving the man a mock flourish toward the computer. "Be my guest."

The stranger completely ignored him, settling himself in front of the keyboard. Instantly, his smirk was replaced by a look of intense concentration. His fingers flew across the keys, his eyes flitting back and forth across the screen faster than Mark thought physically possible. A few minutes of intense typing later and the man stepped back from the computer. "Done."

Mark frowned, glancing at the man momentarily before focusing on the computer screen. It was exactly what he needed. Prisoner records. Transfer transcripts. Upcoming court date transportation detail. Prison schematics. It was all there. "How'd you do that?"

"I've always been good with computers," said the man flatly, "In any case, it's the same type of software we used at STAR Labs."

"You work at STAR Labs?" Mark looked at the man with new found interest.

"Used to. I was fired right before the particle accelerator exploded," said the man, looking quite bitter, "Harrison Wells fired me and blackmailed me so he could keep me from warning every one about the chance it would explode."

"Can't say I wouldn't mind getting my hands of Harrison Wells," admitted Mark, "But I have other priorities. Besides, I can't say I have a problem with what his machine did to me."

The man turned to Mark curiously and Mark obliged him by conjuring a ball of hail in his hand, feeling a sense of pride in the man's curious look shifted to both alarm and fascination. "The particle accelerator changed you. Just like the Flash."

Mark blinked, dissolving the hail into a wisp of vapor. "You've met the Flash?"

"Met. Fought. Tried to kill. Been imprisoned by him and his crew over at STAR Labs. Escaped." The man returned to leaning up against the bookshelf. "What's it to you?"

Mark managed a small smile. Talk about a coincidence. "Not much... He just happens to be the reason I'm looking to break into Iron Heights."

"Care to share?" Asked the man, his right eyebrow rising ever so slightly.

"Depends," said Mark, "What else can you do?

"And that depends on why you're looking to break into Iron Heights," replied the man, "So your question really should be, what can we do for each other?"

Mark merely smiled a little wider. Despite his initial impressions, something told him that he would need this man's help if he intended to succeed with his plan. Mark extended his hand. "Mark Mardon."

The man shook Mark's hand. "Hartley Rathaway." He plopped down in one of the other computer chairs. "And whatever you're planning to do, I'm all ears."

* * *

Singh cast a glance in Barry Allen's direction as he drove toward Central City Picture News, the CSI and part-time hero looking vacantly out the window, obviously troubled. "...I should have made you take another week off."

Allen gave a start. "No. I'm fine. Really. I'm just thinking about Joe and Eddie. I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't have left them..."

"They'll be fine. From what we know of Mark Mardon, he's a lot more careful and a lot more intelligent than his brother. He'll form a plan before he goes after any of you and that will give us time to form our own plan and get Iris somewhere safe."

Barry snorted, his disbelief stunning David. "And where is safe? The precinct isn't with Mardon after Joe. The Lab isn't safe with Wells-"

"Allen. Breathe. We'll figure something out. We always do." David turned his attentions back to the road, but made sure to keep an eye on Barry anyway. With the way the young man's mood was lately, he was liable to just race out of the car and head long into danger. Not that he could blame Allen for the situation he was in. Joe and Allen had told him the truth about Harrison Wells not too long after they had discovered that the supposedly crippled scientist was indeed the Reverse Flash. It had taken all of David's control not to have the scientist immediately arrested, despite the intense pleas from Joe and his foster son. He particularly remembered telling them both at one point that 'Harrison Wells was a criminal and a murder and needed to e put behind bars yesterday. He had another retort all ready to shoot down the next argument, only for Allen to actually make logical sense for once and explain why they couldn't just arrest the man. Barry was nowhere near recovered enough to handle Wells if they made their move now, the psychotic speedster already a tough match for Barry on a good day. They would have to bide their time if they wanted to make sure Wells didn't slip through their fingers.

Admittedly, it seemed logical at the time, but there was an all too obvious strain between Allen and Dr. Wells whenever they were forced to interact that it was starting to become quite noticeable. So noticeable, that David didn't doubt that Wells knew that they were on to him. The disturbing part was how Wells continued to play the part of the crippled yet brilliant mentor as if nothing had ever changed, meaning that either he was quite oblivious or that he was being extraordinarily patient. The latter thought chilled David to the core. Still, he'd rather deal with someone he knew was a threat in a place he knew was secure rather than the precinct where Mardon could waltz in whenever he liked. Sure, he trusted his officers, but none of them would be a match for Mardon.  
"Allen, I think you need to take a deep breath and think this through. Wells may be at STAR Labs and he may be your man in yellow, but the fact is that we know he wants to keep you alive. And keeping you alive means keeping your friends and family alive as well."  
"And you think he'll actually do that?" Said Barry.

"I don't know. The one thing I do know is that despite all this, STAR Labs is a far safer place than the precinct or anywhere else, Wells or no Wells."

Barry sighed, looking back at the Captain. "...you're basically saying that despite whatever his intentions are with me, Wells will still help me. That he'll help us."

"'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,'" said David, "And he did save you, Thawne, and Mr. Ramon from Snart when he could have very well left you three to die."

"He was probably saving us so he could have the pleasure himself," commented Barry.

This time it was David's turn to snort. What had happened to the normally optimistic CSI he had known for many years? "Don't be bullheaded, Allen. If he had wanted to do that, he would have done it. He would have taken you and left Thawne and Mr. Ramon for dead. The man doesn't seem to let an opportunity slip past him unless he has a much stronger and more important reason."

Allen gave a small nod, clearly comprehending what David was saying, even if it seemed that the CSI didn't believe him in the slightest. Well, it was a start. Maybe Iris would be able to talk some sense into her foster brother.

* * *

Cisco was out testing his newfound powers at the practice field at the old Ferris Air Strip when his phone started ringing, Caitlin shooting him an irritated look for having his phone on in the first while she was testing him. "Sorry, Caitlin." He pulled his phone out of his duffle bag, spotting Joe's name splattered across the screen and answering it right away. "Hey, Joe. What's up?"

"We have another metahuman in town. It's Clyde Mardon's brother, Mark. He killed the coroner a few hours ago."

Cisco frowned and put Joe on speaker for Caitlin's benefit. "Wait, hang on. Mark Mardon is alive, he's a metahuman and he killed the coroner?"

"He came trying to find out who killed his brother," said Joe.

Cisco blanched and glanced toward Caitlin, seeing her eyes widen fearfully. "Please tell me he didn't find out…" Joe didn't respond. "Shit. What are you going to do? What do you need? Is there anything we can do?"

"I'm going to be hunkering back at the precinct with Eddie until the Captain and Barry bring Iris back here. After that, we don't really have a plan yet. As for what I need, I might need a favor. Back when Mark's brother was causing trouble, did you put any thought into something that could stop him? Some sort of device?"

Cisco nodded briefly before he remembered that Joe couldn't actually see him. "I had an idea for something. I never really had time to put it together since Clyde Mardon died, but I still have all the parts I'd need to make it. If I got back to the Lab now, I could have it ready in a few hours."

"Please. And Cisco?"

Cisco frowned at the hesitation behind Joe's voice. This next favor wasn't going to be something so simple as a piece of tech. "Yeah…?"

"Call Wells and ask if we could turn STAR Labs into a sort of home base. It's too dangerous for us to stay at the precinct and STAR Labs can be locked down against Mardon."

Cisco swallowed, shuddering. The idea of being in STAR Labs and under lockdown with Dr. Wells made his stomach twist into impossible knots. He still had yet to sleep through the night without one of his many Wells centered nightmares ruining it for him. The feeling of Wells shoving his hand through his chest? That was something he would never forget for as long as he lived.

"I'll do it," said Caitlin, "I'm sure we can arrange something at the Lab for all of you." She rubbed Cisco's arm comfortingly and Cisco thanked God quietly for having such a wonderful friend in his life. "Don't worry, Detective. We'll figure things out on our end and let you know when we're ready for you."

"Thank you. Both of you." Joe let out a world weary sigh on the other end of the line. "I'll see you guys in a few hours then."

"Hopefully sooner," said Caitlin, "If you need anything else, please, don't hesitate to call us."

"Thank you. I won't."

The moment Joe hung up, Caitlin was immediately beginning to take down their equipment. Cisco took off the sensors that dotted his body and started to help her, the whole process taking less than five minutes. They needed to get back to the lab immediately if they wanted to stand any chance of keeping their friends safe.

* * *

Harrison let out a long sigh as he watched the footage from inside Captain Singh's car and the footage from inside Joe's car. He'd placed the two cameras in there only a week ago and they were paying off big time. After the incident with the Rogues, he had kept a close eye on Barry, finding him disappearing from his radar at irregular times, but at regular intervals. Eventually, he had realized exactly why this was happening when his one of his cameras finally caught Cisco and Barry discussing his status as the Reverse Flash. Fascinating. They had figured out his secret through some unknown means and informed everyone who knew of Barry's status as the Flash about Harrison's duplicity. The group were undoubtedly planning a way to trap him and were being quite careful to hide their plans from him. What had impressed him most about the situation was how well the others had been handling themselves around him with the exception of Barry. Barry was being far from subtle with his distasteful glances and general rudeness to Harrison, despite the annoyed looks that Cisco, Caitlin and Joe kept sending to Barry to try to stop the young man. Not that Harrison could blame him. All the anger and rage the boy held for him, it was a wonder he hadn't already snapped and attacked Harrison the moment he found out the truth.

Harrison leaned back in his chair and waited for the call that would undoubtedly come his way, asking for Barry, the West's, and Detective Thawne to stay hidden at the Lab. He'd immediately agree to help of course. He didn't want them to know he was aware of their plotting against him. In fact, there was a chance Mardon's attack was exactly what Harrison needed to force Barry to help him. If he helped Barry, maybe the young hero could be leveraged into doing what Harrison wanted of him. Maybe. There was still a lot to do and so many events that had yet to occur. He would be ready however. He would be ready to back Barry into a corner, leaving the Scarlet Speedster with a choice, a single offer that would save or destroy the boy's future.

It would be an offer Barry Allen could not refuse.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Wow. Sorry. This took way too long to write. I won't give any excuses, but thank you to everyone who has been so patient waiting for this. Between school and work I am trying to get to this as much as I can as often as possible and will continue to do so. School is priority though. Anyway, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and/or favorited this piece. I will hopefully have more to post soon. Please let me know what you think!**_

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 ** _P.S._** _Italics lines_ ** _are written text._**

* * *

Mark looked over Hartley's notes on Iron Heights and had to admit, the kid was a genius. He'd found just about every flaw possible in the building. The kid had even devised exactly how much force Mark would need to blast down the prison walls with his own powers, not to mention the frequency which Hartley would need to use to cause the same damage with his 'sonic gloves.' Hartley had yet to demonstrate what these gloves could do, but the kid had promised they would work. He claimed that he had taken down the Flash once already with the gloves and would have killed him were it not for the timely intervention of Dr. Harrison Wells who Rathaway seemed to have an extreme level of hatred for.

"So…what's the deal with you and Wells? Is it all just because he fired you?" asked Mark carefully, finally letting his curiosity get the best of him.

"And blackmailed me," added Hartley, his tone bitter as he worked with a few sheets of paper, "And no. It's not just that. I lost my hearing to that bastard and his so-called accident. Unlike you, the Flash and every other metahuman out there, I didn't end up so lucky."

"So you want payback," said Mark.

"Payback?" Hartley's face twisted into something Mark could only describe as pure loathing. "No. Payback is too simple. I want to destroy everything that Harrison Wells cares about and the only thing that man cares about is The Flash. So you can see why I want to destroy Harrison Wells' favorite plaything."

"Not to sound rude, Hartley," commented Mark, "But it sounds more like jealously. You're jealous of the Flash."

Hartley practically growled and Mark almost readied a gust of air to take down the genius should he attack. Almost. "Harrison Wells destroyed my entire life. I'm not jealous of the Flash. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. Harrison Wells is poison. I can't say I wasn't jealous at first, but now? Now, I just want to screw over Dr. Wells and that means screwing over the Flash. Leonard Snart can help us do it. So no, I'm not jealous. I'm far from jealous. I'm vengeful."

Mark nodded slowly. "Had to ask. I've seen jealous and I've seen vengeful. Jealous means trouble when it comes to acting out on it."

Hartley glanced at Mark, slowly unwinding. "You wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be some sort of loose cannon." Mark nodded ever so slightly. "Smart. I'd be offended, but I've got somewhere else to be."

Mark blinked, surprised. What? "Somewhere else to be?"

"The only way this breakout is going to work is if Snart is in the loop." Hartley picked up the papers he had been working on. "I managed to arrange a meeting with him for this afternoon."

"He's in solitary confinement though." Mark couldn't believe his ears. "How did you manage to arrange a meeting?"

"You saw me hack the prison logs, right?" said Hartley, looking smug as ever, "Well, I also hacked their visitor logs and the DA's system. I've set myself up as a civil servant for the DA and arranged the meeting. Simple as that."

"Clever, but how do you plan to talk to him exactly," replied Mark, "All the rooms will have cameras."

"I have my ways." Hartley handed Mark a set of glasses. "First of all, I'm going to make sure Snart's a willing player for all of this."

"How?"

Hartley's smirk somehow grew even more smug. "Put on the glasses."

Mark did as Hartley told him to, largely unimpressed as nothing happened. "And what? They're glasses. What do you want me to do?"

Hartley picked up the papers he had been slaving over and held one up for Mark to see. "Read between the lines."

Mark felt his jaw drop as he stared at the paper. The kid was a fucking genius.

* * *

Linda Park had only seen Barry on a few rare occasions after the kidnappings two weeks ago. She hadn't been entirely bothered by the lack of contact and she knew that he hadn't wanted her to be around during the first few days. He'd looked haggard the first time she saw him after the kidnapping, his eyes darkened and his completion pale. His voice however sounded much brighter and the darkness in eyes vanished at the sight of her, something she found quite relieving. Over the next few times they'd met up, he had improved exponentially. Today, however, as Barry and Captain Singh entered the Picture News office, the darkness had returned and Linda worried that something had gone terribly wrong.

Barry immediately went over to his foster sister's desk, Iris quickly looking up at him while Captain Singh stayed near the door. Barry had a brief whispered conversation with Iris who blanched and immediately snatched up her things, rising to follow him out the door.

Linda stood, catching Barry's eye as he headed out the door. Her breath caught in her throat. Deep in Barry's eyes, there was a shadow of absolute fear, the likes of which she had never seen.

Watching as the trio left the office, Linda muttered a quick apology to Mason as Barry disappeared from sight, grabbing up her own things and racing out the door. Whatever was happening, she had a feeling Barry was going to need all the help he could get.

* * *

Barry strolled out to the car with Iris and the Captain, remaining as quiet as possible while the Captain briefed Iris on the situation.

"So where are we going?" asked Iris, "I understand we're going to be under protection, but where exactly is safe from a metahuman?"

"First to the precinct to pick up Joe and Thawne and then we're going to STAR Labs," said the Captain, making Barry flinch, "It's the only place that can be secured properly and can hold Mardon if he attacks."

"Secure? You do know that anyone can just waltz in there, right?" said Iris, giving Singh a disbelieving glance, "And we'd be trapped in there with Dr. Wells, who, I will remind you, has almost killed my dad, Eddie, and Barry and could very damn well kill anyone else who tries to get in his way."

"Wells won't do anything. He wants Barry safe and the only way Barry will be safe, is if Wells helps keep him alive, just as he's been for the past year. And since Barry will probably throw himself between you, your father, and Eddie if Mardon does come, I'm positive Wells will be more than a little willing to help."

"You guys know I'm standing right here, right?" said Barry.

"And?" Iris gave Barry a challenging look. "You know you'd do it too. Throw yourself between us and Mardon."

Barry sighed, but didn't argue. Iris and Captain Singh were right. He would always throw himself between his friends and danger.

"He always had a hero complex," commented the Captain, "Now he has a superhero complex."

Iris managed a smile and a laugh while Barry couldn't tell what mortified him more: that his boss had cracked a joke or that he had given him a backhanded compliment. Singh was still being ridiculously nice to him since he'd found out about Barry's 'extracurricular activities.' He honestly wondered when Singh would go back to just treating him as Barry Allen, the bumbling and ordinary CSI. He doubted it would ever happen, but he could hope.

"Barry!"

Barry turned away from Iris and Captain Singh, startled to see Linda running out toward them. Crap. Now was not a good time. "Linda, I-"

"Barry, what's going on? Are you in trouble?" Linda stopped in front of him, looking between him and Captain Singh. "…did something happen to Detective West?"

Captain Singh shot Barry a look and the young CSI cringed. For being a sports reporter, Linda was a good detective. "Ms. Park, I'm afraid I can't disclose any information at this time-"

"Captain, please," said Linda giving him a critical look, "I'm not here out of professional curiosity. I'm here because Barry is my boyfriend and Iris is my colleague and I want to help."

Barry hesitated to reply, preferring that the Captain continued to do the talking. As much as he loved to have Linda helping them, this was too dangerous. The only reason Iris was involved at all was that she was already in danger.

Captain Singh let out a sigh, glancing once at Barry before returning his gaze to Linda. Oh, shit… He wasn't going to really tell her, was he? "Come with us, Ms. Park. We'll discuss this in the car on the way to the precinct."

Barry tried not to die right there and then.

Linda nodded, not even noticing Barry's expression. "Thank you. And it's Linda." She shot Barry a brief look of concern before following Singh as he continued walking toward his car.

Iris waited until the duo were a few yards away before turning to Barry. "You haven't told her yet, have you?" Barry shook his head. "She needs to know the truth, Bear. She's your girlfriend and she's doing this for you. She may have mentioned wanting to help me because I'm her 'colleague,' but she's throwing herself into this for you. She deserves to know the whole truth."

Barry squirmed under Iris' gaze, wondering briefly if this was what his specimens felt like when he had them under the microscope. "…and Wells? You, Joe, Eddie, and everyone else I care about already are in danger because they're involved in this. I don't want to add another name to the list of people he could hurt."

Iris suddenly hugged Barry and the CSI hugged her back, feeling at ease for the briefest of seconds. "Bear, I was in the dark for so long about all of this. If you had just told me from the start, maybe I could have helped you more often than I got in the way. Linda needs to know. I know you've only been dating for a little over a month, but whether you love her or not, she cares about you and you care about her. And, she's a good person. She wants to help you. There's nothing wrong with that."

Barry nodded slowly. "…how should I tell her?"

Iris suddenly smirked, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "How about you offer to give her a lift back to the precinct?"

Barry raised an eyebrow. "I thought you only liked it when I carried you?"

Iris raised an eyebrow in return. "Like you haven't carried Caitlin, Cisco, or Dad before either?" Barry flushed. "I know, Barry. She and Cisco have been filling me in on all your adventures, remember?"

"Yeah… I forgot about that." Barry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "So…

"Go tell her, Romeo," said Iris, punching Barry in the shoulder, "The Captain and I will be fine without you until we get back to the precinct."

Barry rubbed his shoulder, giving her a perturbed look. "Ow… Have you been working out with Eddie or something?"

Iris chuckled. "Maybe… Though he did say I'm a much better sparring partner than you were when you were trying to be 'plain old Barry Allen.'"

Barry laughed at this. Of course, Eddie would say that. Barry had been trying so hard to seem normal around everyone, that he'd often over played it especially when he and Eddie had sparred together. Not that training with Eddie hadn't helped. He was definitely improving in terms of hand-to-hand combat.

"Right," said Iris, "Go. Wisk Linda off her feet and fill her in on this. We'll see you two back at the station."

"You promise?" said Barry.

"Promise." Iris shoved Barry toward Linda. "Go."

Barry let himself be guided back to Linda and Captain Singh, taking a deep breath. "Um, Captain, I'm going to take Linda back to the station if that's all right by you. I want to…fill her in on somethings."

Captain Singh raised an eyebrow ever so slightly, but nodded. "We'll meet you back at the precinct then."

Iris gave him a subtle thumbs up as she stepped around Linda and into the Captain's vehicle. If it weren't for the touch of sadness in her eyes, Barry almost would have believed her words of encouragement. Almost. Still, she was with Eddie and he was with Linda. There wasn't any chance for them. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

* * *

Linda turned to Barry, confused as Captain Singh and Iris left her and Barry in the parking lot. "Barry, what's going on? What is it that you're so scared about?"

Barry sighed, looking like he was in extreme pain. "I promise, I'll tell you everything, but first there's something I have to show you. Just…don't freak out. Please. And, maybe hold your breath."

Linda would have asked him what the Hell he was talking about except she was suddenly being swept off her feet and the world was a blur around her. Seconds later, she was at the back entrance of the police station, Barry setting her gently down on the ground. "Barry… What the…?" Everything clicked in an instant. "You're the Flash."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," said Barry, looking incredibly guilty, "I was trying to keep you safe, but with everything that happened with Snart and everything that's happening right now, I can't keep you in the dark anymore. The more you know, the safer I can keep you and-"

Linda didn't know what on Earth overcame her, but she found herself caught between punching Barry and kissing him as he continued to ramble on. Both somehow won out in the end as she smacked him in the arm and quickly pulled him into a kiss, silencing him.

Barry froze, obviously stunned and slowly kissed her back until she broke them apart. "Um…what?"

"Is this why you ran out on me during our date that one time?" Barry had the decency to look embarrassed. "It was, wasn't it?"

"I had to go stop a man who could light himself on fire and was actually two people stuck together and we had to separate them before they could blow up and then-"

Linda let out a short laugh that stopped Barry midstream. "My boyfriend ran out of a date to go be a hero…"

"Are you mad?" asked Barry cringing, "Please don't be mad. I just-"

"Barry." Linda put a hand over Barry's mouth. "I'm mad, but I'm not that mad." The bewildered look Barry made almost made Linda burst out laughing, but she settled for him a sly smirk. "I get it. You're the Flash. Your first instinct is to protect people. And, as sweet as it is that you want to do that for me, I don't need protecting. I can take care of myself."

"Linda…" Barry looked distraught as he gently pulled her hand away from his mouth. "It's not that simple… If anyone ever found out who you were to me, if they found out who I really am…" Barry broke off and Linda's smirk fell as she once again found the shadows falling across his face and the dark sadness in his eyes. He sat down on the back step of the precinct "Linda, there's a lot about me you don't know and there's a lot I have to tell you."

Linda plopped down next to Barry, putting her hand on his leg. "So tell me."

Barry let out a long sigh. "I'd understand if you want to leave. I mean, this isn't your fight and if you don't want to be part of it-" Linda started to protest only for Barry to hold up a hand to stop her. "Look, I'll tell you everything I can, but if you decide at any time you want out of this, I completely understand."

"And I'll make that decision if I feel like it," said Linda, taking Barry's hand gently, "So tell me."

Barry looked up at Linda, his sad eyes seeming to melt ever so slightly under her gaze. He nodded. "Ok." Barry took in a deep breath. "It all started fifteen years ago when my mother was murdered…"

* * *

Leonard Snart was a very patient man, but this was ridiculous. After waiting for two weeks, it was about damn time that his lawyer finally came to talk to him. Sadly, he'd only had a chance to speak with the man once and it was over the phone. He'd sounded like a bored, half-assed civil servant though so his unplanned visit to speak with Len was definitely expected. He doubted the man had any real interest in representing him and just wanted to know details for the trial. Fantastic.

Len paused as the guard opened the door, expecting a decrepit looking middle-aged alcoholic of a man to enter. Surprisingly, it swung open to reveal a young man in a rather clean suit, a briefcase in hand.

"My apologies for the abrupt timing of our meeting, Mr. Snart," said the man, flashing Len a disarming grin, "The office has been a bit crazy lately and I don't know why we haven't gotten to you sooner."

"Right," said Len smoothly, looking the man up and down as the guard left them, "And you are?"

"Patience, Mr. Snart," said the man, sitting down before Len and opening up his briefcase. As he pulled out a few papers, Len noticed him fiddling with something in his ear. It was only as he took his fingers away from his ear that Len realized what he'd been playing with.

"Hearing aids?" Len frowned, particularly as the young man grimaced. "Touchy subject?"

"You could say that. I'll explain later." The young man finished playing with the hearing aid and sighed. "Now, I have some papers for you to look over before we start. Your basic consent forms for our services."

Len took the papers carefully from the man, frowning as he found himself squinting to read the tiny font.

"A bit small, I know," said the man. He pulled out a pair of glasses from his briefcase, handing them to Len. "Here. These should help."

Len took them cautiously from the man and put them on. Looking down at the papers once again, he barely managed to hide his shock. There was a layer of hidden writing between the lines already printed on the page. He removed the glasses, pretending to adjust them. The writing disappeared. "Interesting prescription… I like it."

The man smirked. "Thanks. I had them specially designed for these kind of circumstances."

Len felt his mouth twitch into a brief smile before putting the glasses back on and returning his gaze to the papers before him. It read: _Mr. Snart, how would you like to take another pass at the Flash? My friend and I can have you and your friends out of here at anytime. We just want to know: in or out?_

"What do you think of them?" Len glanced up at the young man, confused. "The glasses? In style or out of style?" asked the man.

Len blinked. A way out? What was the catch? "…I guess that depends on what you're looking for…"

The young man nodded. "Page two, Mr. Snart."

Len flipped to the next sheet of paper, reading the next line of text: _We need your help to take out the Flash so we can go after a few of his friends: Detective Joe West and Doctor Harrison Wells. You know how to stop him and we want you to stop him cold._

Len couldn't help the grin that twisted across his face. Oh, this was just perfect. Little did they know they were targeting Barry Allen and both his mentor and his foster father. He took the pen the lawyer had set down at some point and wrote on the signature line _Who's we?_

The man nodded as he read the paper. "Page five, please."

Len flipped the page again, greeted by more hidden writing. _Mark Mardon and Hartley Rathaway at your service._

Len tried not to let his surprise show. Mardon he knew of and he had a level of respect for, but this kid? Hartley Rathaway? As in the Rathaway's? The ones that he and Mick had stolen the Fire and Ice painting from a couple of months before? How did a rich boy end up working with a criminal like Mardon? "…so what are you in this for?"

"Let's just say there's a certain doctor I need to…pay back…" Replied Hartley, because of course this had to be Hartley Rathaway. He clearly wasn't Mark Mardon and neither would have outsourced this talk.

"I see…" So Rathaway had a beef with Harrison Wells. There must be quite a story behind that. Deep in thought, Len bit the inside of his cheek and instantly regretted it as his still mending jaw lanced with pain. He owed both Barry Allen and the Reverse Flash for that… Payback, was it? And Barry Allen was already on the menu? Not to mention, Lisa, Mick and himself would be free… "…we need to discuss terms…"

"Of course," said Rathaway, taking away the papers he had handed Len and handing him another set. "Just give me a moment."

Len watched as Rathaway fiddled with one of his hearing aids before pressing a button of some sort on the outside of his suitcase and a mechanical whine filling the room. Len surreptitiously glanced at the security camera, wondering why the guards weren't reacting to the noise and froze, the red light of the camera off. What was Rathaway doing?!

"Don't worry. We can speak and move freely for the moment," said Rathaway, "I have the cameras on a loop. Their radios are having issues too, something to keep them occupied for a while."

Len looked Hartley Rathaway up and down. Now everything made sense. "So you're the tech..."

"I prefer genius," commented Rathaway sharply, "But yes. I'm the technical end of things. I hacked the prison system to arrange this meeting and plan the escape. Mardon is the metahuman end."

"Metahuman end?" commented Len.

"Like the great and mighty Flash," said Rathaway mockingly, "Mardon got powers because of the particle accelerator. Atmokinesis is the technical term for them. Basically he's our weather machine."

"Interesting," said Len, "And what about you?"

"The Flash is Harrison Wells' golden boy. I want to make Harrison Wells suffer for what he's done to me," said Rathaway, "Long story short, he betrayed me and he tried to destroy me. I want to return the favor."

"So…if I say yes to this crazy plan, you and Mardon want my help to take down the Flash so you can both get revenge against your enemies. Mardon's issue with the detective?"

"West killed his brother. He wants to kill West. I disagree with his intentions, but he's the one with superpowers."

"Agreed… We'll have a talk with him," said Len. He paused thoughtfully. The moment he got out, Barry would go underground and he would stay there for a long time. He knew that much. If Mardon and Rathaway wanted the Flash, they would need to snag Barry Allen before he had so much as an inkling of what was to come. They'd need to make this a one stop trip. "I'm in. And so are Mick and my sister. But we need one thing, or should I say, I need one person to make this all work. And we'll need him to be here during the breakout."

Rathaway raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"His name's Barry Allen-"

"Detective West's foster son. The CSI you kidnapped," commented Hartley, "The one you tried to kill."

"I'm not one for killing unless it's necessary. Shooting Barry Allen was necessary to get at the Flash and his...other friend…"

"Other friend?" asked Hartley, "Another hero like the Arrow?"

"No. Another speedster," replied Len, "He goes by the name The Reverse Flash. I want to destroy him and the Flash. Allen will lead us to the Flash. The Flash will lead us to the Reverse Flash."

Rathaway gave a scarce nod, clearly not caring about Snart's reasons. "So, we'll get Allen here. As soon as he meets with you, we'll arrange the break out and snatch him up. No problem. I'll send you and your friends the time and day when I arrange for him to get here."

"Wait until twenty minutes after Allen arrives before you two begin the breakout. I want at least a few minutes to talk to the kid before your plan commences," commented Len, "If it helps, Allen is notoriously late. But despite the ease with which you might believe Allen can be taken out, I advise you and Mardon be prepared for a fight… Barry is quite…quick on his feet."

Rathaway's eyes widened, clearly stunned though he managed to recover quickly. "I…see…"

"Don't tell Mardon. I don't want Barry dead before you can arrange this whole thing. Understood?" Len gave Rathaway a hard look.

"Understood," replied the young man, "Anything else?"

"Our weapons and the handcuffs we used on Barry the last time. We'll need those"

"I'll arrange for them to be misplaced tomorrow. Expect the breakout as soon as the day after tomorrow. Mardon won't sit tight any long than that."

"We'll be ready," replied Len.

"Good." Rathaway played with his earpiece again as well as the briefcase and the camera turned back on. "I'll be back in a couple of days to finish this meeting."

"Well don't take too long," Len snarked back, already impressed by how well Rathaway could play his role. Genius indeed. "I'll be waiting with bells on my feet."

Rathaway almost smirked as he stood, taking the pen and papers from Len. "My glasses, if you don't mind…"

Len handed them back. "Thanks. They really cleared things up."

"They have that effect," replied Rathaway as he closed up his briefcase, "Until next time, Mr. Snart."

"It's Snart or Cold," replied Len, "And until next time, Mr. Rathaway."

"Hartley," replied the young man, "Call me Hartley. Keep cool, Snart." Hartley turned and left with a scarce wink.

Len allowed the guards to come in and take him back to his cell peaceably. If he played his cards right and Hartley and Mardon managed this supposed breakout, it looked like he might get the chance to make Barry pay tenfold for all the trouble he had caused.

Len smirked ever so slightly as the door to his cell slammed shut. Things were looking up after all.


End file.
